Preservation of raw cheese



May 22, 1934. H. D. MARSHALL 59,485

PRESERVATION OF RAW CHEESE Filed May 5, 1933 I I l INVENTORi HAROLD D. MARSHALL.

BY ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 22, 1934 r 1,959,485

PRESERVATION F RAW CHEESE Harold D. Marshall, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Application May 3, 1933, Serial No. 669,257 In Canada August 18, 1932 6 Claims. (Cl. 99-8) This invention relates to the preservation of ing the exudation and accumulation of a film of raw cheese and is particularly applicable to the separated butter fat between the surface of the preservationof sectional portions of whole raw raw cheese and the adherent layer. The invention cheeses of the Cheddar and like types which are also comprises the further features hereinafter normally manufactured inlarge sizes unsuited described and more particularly pointed out in the 39 to retail sale until cut into relatively small porappended claims. tions. In the accompanying drawing which illustrates In the manufacture of, for example, Cheddar one manner of carrying the invention into cheese the curd is pressed into cheese-cloth lined efiectl0 molds of such a size as-to produce cheeses weigh- Figure l is an elevation of a cheese partly in 65 ing'substantially 80 pounds. The cheese-cloth section. acts as a binder but leaves'the surface of the curd Figure 2 is an elevation of a unit of raw cheese. exposed to the atmosphere and as a result of Figures 3 and 4 are cross sections of a unit evaporation a hard tough rind is formed on the illustrating stages in its preparation.

outside which effectually seals and preserves the Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional elevation of cheese within. one end of a completed unit.

Raw cheeses so produced if handled with rea- Figure 6 is a perspective view of a completed sonable care and with the rind unbroken, can be unit. kept for a year or more without deterioration or In carrying the invention into effect in one change other than the usual and desirable change convenient manner as applied to the preparation 75 in texture due to the matpring of the cheese. of units of raw Cheddar cheese of.suitable size,

Such cheeses with a naturally formed protecshape and keeping character for retail sale, the tive rind thereon can however, only be produced natural rind 1 is removed from the whole Cheddar economically in large sizes while the consumer cheese as commercially manufactured and the demand is for small pieces or units. internal portion 2 is divided into units 3 which If the large cheeses are cut into the small may conveniently be circular in cross section and units suited to retail sale such units having large weigh one-half pound or one pound. exposed surfaces unprotected b'y rind are quickly Each unit 3 is then momentarily immersed in spoiled due to evaporation, separation and exua bath of pasteurized skim milk'cheese preferdation of butter fat, formation of mould and other ably at pasteurizing temperature and of suflicient 85 deteriorating influences. liquidity that only a thin layer or coating 4 ad- VVhile it has been possible to produce from heres to the unit 3 when it is withdrawn from the pasteurizedv or processed cheese and deliver ready bath. packaged to the retailer small units of good kee After withdrawal of the unit 3 from the bath ing character such as are attractive to an deand while the adherentlayer or coating 4 of 90 sired by the public it has not hitherto been pospasteurized cheese is still hot and viscid, a sheet sible to provide similar units of raw cheese owing 5 of substantially impervious wrapping material, to the difliculty of preventing rapid deteriorapreferably a metal foil, isapplied thereto and tion thereof. rolled around the cylindrical surface into inti- Objects of the present invention are to overmate contact therewith. Adisc 6 of the wrapping 95 come this difliculty by providing a simple and material is applied to each end of the cylinder effective method of preserving from deterioraand the ends 7 of the sheet 5 which project betion units of raw cheese devoid of natural rind yond the ends of the cylinder are folded down and to make available to the consuming public as shown in Figures 5 and 6 over the discs 6 to raw cheese in units of convenient size and shape nclose t e u t Completely.

and of good keeping character. Immersion of the unit of raw cheese in the Further objects are to employ in the preservbath at pasteurizing temperature sterilizes the ation of units of raw cheese edible material and surface which is thereafter protected from deto provide for the maintenance of the preservateriorating influences by the adherent layer or tive material inedible condition, I coating of pasteurized cheese, and this layer also With these objects in view the invention conprevents the exudation and accumulation of a. sists primarily in applying to the exposed surface film of separated butter fat between the surface of the raw cheese devoid of rind an edible inateof the raw cheese and the adherent layer. rial adapted to adhere to the exposed surface in The prevention of exudation and the accumu- 55 a thin layer or coating and capable of preventlation of a film of butter fat may be due to the application of the adherent layer so acting upon the raw cheese that separation of butter fat does not subsequently occur or because any butter fat separated from the raw cheese is absorbed by the adherent layer or coating.

The covering of foil or the like protects the layer or coating of pasteurized cheese from dirt and deteriorating influences and maintains it in edible condition.

While skim milk cheese is preferably employed as the material from which the preservative layer or coating 4 is formed as it has been found highly effective possibly because, due to its lack of fat, it is particularly highly absorptive of any butter fat which may separate from the surface of the raw cheese unit, nevertheless the invention is not confined to the use of skim milk cheese for this purpose as the invention contemplates the use of any edible material capable of preventing the exudation and accumulation of a film of butter fat on the surface of the raw cheese and adapted to be applied to the raw cheese in a thin adherent layer or coating. Whole milk cheese and casein are examples of other materials that may be employed.

In place of units of small weight suitable for sale to the consumer without further subdivision, larger units of several pounds weight may be produced from which slices of the weight desired by the purchaser may be cut by the retailer. In the case of such larger units the outer covering of foil or the like may be indented or marked at intervals as shown at 8 in Figure 6 to indicate where cuts should be made to sever portions of predetermined weight.

It willbe seen that the invention provides a method of effectively preserving for a relatively long period raw cheese devoid of rind and enables units of raw cheese to be produced of size, shape and keeping character desirable to the consuming public.

The invention is not confined to any particular raw cheese or size or shape of unit nor to any specific materials for the preservative layer or coating and for the wrapper. as these features may be varied or changed as desired within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:-

1. A method of preserving a unit of raw cheese devoid of rind which comprise immersing the unit in a bath of melted skim milk cheese withdrawing it therefrom with a thin adherent layer or coating of the skim milk cheese and applying to the adherent layer while still viscid a wrapping of metal foil.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the bath of melted skim milk cheese is maintained at pasteurizing temperature.

3. A method of providing sectional units of Cheddar and like cheese of the desired shape, size and keeping character for retail sale which comprises removing the rind from the cheese as manufactured, dividing the cheese into units of the desired shape and size, immersing each unit in a bath of melted skim milk cheese held at pasteurizing temperature, withdrawing the unit from the bath with a thin adherent layer or coating of pasteurized skim milk cheese and applying to the layer or coating while still viscid a wrapping of metal foil pressed into intimate contact therewith. I

4. A unit of raw cheese devoid of rind of selected shape and size with an adherent layer or coating on its exposed surfaces of separately prepared pasteurized skim milk cheese and an external wrapping of metal foil in intimate contact with said layer or coating.

5. A method of preserving a unit of raw cheese devoid of rind, which comprises immersing the unit in a bath of melted pasteurized cheese, withdrawing the unit with a thin adherent layer of the pasteurized cheese and applying around the adherent layer while still viscid a wrapping of substantially impervious material.

6. A method of preparing sectional units of raw cheese which comprises removing the rind from the cheese as manufactured, dividing the cheese into units of desired shape and size, immersing each unit in a bath of pasteurized cheese held at pasteurizing temperature, withdrawing the unit from the bath with a thin adherent layer of pasteurized cheese, and applying around the layer while still viscid a. wrapping of substantially impervious material pressed into intimate contact therewith.

HAROLD D. MARSHALL. 

